Antarctica
is
a
cold,
mostly
barren
continent,
defined
by
its
isolation
and
snow.
It
is
also
a
place
that
has
been
set
aside
for
peace
and
science.
The
challenges
of
this
desolate
and
harsh
environment
provide
the
necessary
surroundings
to
foster
teamwork
and
collaboration
for
those
living
and
researching
there.
Half Moon Island, Antarctica at sunset
This environment of teamwork makes Antarctica a perfect location to bring 99 female leaders from around the world together to focus on building a network and community of leaders. This year, among these leaders was Biology professor Kirsten Müller. Professor Müller spent just under a month around the southernmost continent of our planet in November and December, and came back empowered and inspired to make a difference within the Waterloo community, and beyond. “When you take a group of really strong women, and you remove them from the distractions of everyday life, and you ask them what kind of leaders they are, you create a real sense of empowerment. You allow these women to really explore what they want to give back to this world, and what that actually looks like,” reflected Müller.
The Homeward Bound 4 group celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty on board their ship.
One of the biggest lessons that Professor Müller took away from her experiences was the power and impact of personal stories. Stories engage people. They create community. They allow the storyteller to share more about themselves.
“I think, in order to build better communities, which we talk about at UW a lot – it’s in our strategic plan, student experience is in our plan, experiential learning is in our plan – the basis of all of that is stories, and how we can relate our own experiences and share it with other people.”
Kirsten Muller in Port Lockroy, Antarctica with gentoo penguins in the background
Since sharing stories is such a large part of the impact of the Homeward Bound program, we asked Professor Müller to reflect on and share the story of her experiences in Antarctica.
I
have
been
back
in
Waterloo
for
almost
a
month
having
left
behind
the
beautiful
and
harsh
landscape
that
defines
Antarctica
with
different
shades
of
blue
in
the
sea,
ice
and
sky
and
the
98
inspiring
women
who
joined
me
on
this
voyage.
Our
days
on
the
ship
in
Antarctica
were
filled
with
conversations
of
equity,
diversity,
and
inclusion
(EDI),
climate
change,
our
impact
on
the
planet,
how
a
new
leadership
model
is
sorely
needed
and
how
we
can
all
be
authentic
leaders.
All
of
this
against
a
back
drop
of
incredible
beauty
yet
where
the
impact
of
human
activity
is
clearly
evident
from
warming
temperatures
on
the
Antarctic
peninsula,
invasive
species,
melting
sea
ice,
and
shifting
and
decreasing
populations
of
numerous
species.
Antarctica
does
not
have
a
permanent
human
population;
however,
we
became
critically
aware
human
activity
is
having
a
profound
impact
even
in
this
isolated
region
of
our
planet.
Gentoo pengiun swimming in Cierva Cove, Antarctica
At
the
end
of
the
three
week
voyage,
it
was
a
bit
of
a
shock,
to
arrive
in
Argentina
and
be
instantly
overwhelmed
with
email,
social
media,
news
from
home
and
events
happening
on
the
world
stage.
Many
of
the
women
in
this
leadership
program
call
Australia
home,
and
the
bushfires
that
were
raging
through
their
home
country
was
one
of
the
first
pieces
of
news
that
I
faced,
along
with
the
concerned
faces
of
my
new
friends.
Forest
fires
and
connections
to
climate
change
had
been
a
topic
that
came
up
frequently
in
our
Symposium
at
Sea
–
where
each
woman
shared
a
three
minute
story
about
their
leadership,
research,
or
journey
to
being
in
the
Homeward
Bound
program.
For
myself,
forest
fires
have
been
in
the
forefront
of
my
mind
since
May
2016,
when
I
watched
from
Waterloo
as
my
hometown
of
Fort
McMurray
was
overrun
by
a
major
forest
fire
and
then
evacuated.
That
same
week,
my
father
passed
away
in
Edmonton,
the
coroner’s
report
noted
that
the
extreme
heat
and
poor
air
quality
due
to
smoke
were
contributing
factors
to
his
death.
This
made
me
realize
that
climate
change
is
personal,
not
an
abstract
idea
that
we
discuss
and
see
on
the
news,
it
is
and
will
affect
each
and
every
one
of
us.
As
a
result
of
this
experience,
an
aspect
of
my
research
today
examines
the
impact
of
forest
fires
on
the
Canadian
landscape
and
the
resulting
algal
blooms
that
occur
following
such
events.
I
heard
so
many
stories
in
our
Symposium
at
Sea,
from
women,
who
have
directly
witnessed
the
dramatic
changes
in
their
communities,
research
areas
and
lives
due
to
climate
change
(see
on
twitter:
@AnikaMolesworth,
@drmparrot,
@mcmsharksxx,
@reefscientist,
@DrCLanglais,
@cassandrafish,
@justine_d_shaw).
I
recognize
now
that
these
deeply
personal
events
can
shape
how
we
focus
our
research
or
career
direction
and
enable
us
to
lead
in
ways
that
perhaps
we
did
not
expect
but
are
in
line
with
what
we
deeply
value.
Personal
stories
on
the
individual
impact
of
climate
change
is,
in
my
view,
the
key
to
catalyzing
change.
Kirsten Müller and Tammy Eger (Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON) at Yankee Harbour, South Shetland Islands. They were two of the four Canadians on the trip.
Since we left Antarctica, our Homeward Bound cohort communicates daily and these conversations have been almost solely focused on the fires in Australia: evacuations, species loss, and how can we make a difference individually and collectively. We are already using the skills we learned on the voyage to galvanize action, whether it be asking how other countries provide water and food to domestic farm animals in natural disasters, to fundraising opportunities at local and global levels and how to create change in the wake of such terrible events. This is happening while many of the communities that my Australian colleagues live in are still at risk from bushfires. The motto of Homeward Bound is #StrongerTogether and in less than a month after this voyage, this rings true for me more each day. Together we have developed skills in leadership, strategy, communication and visibility and we are connected in a strong network of women in STEMM. We are ready to impact decisions to address the sustainability and the state of leadership on our planet.
The Homeward Bound 4 cohort at Brown Bluff, Antarctica.